STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONER MILLER ON THE PROPOSED LISTING OF MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AS A THREATENED SPECIES (12/11/2024)

“The Biden Administration’s recent proposal to list the Monarch Butterfly as a threatened species is just the latest example of federal government overreach which cripples agriculture and rural development. Don't be misled. This proposal isn’t about protecting butterflies. It’s about out-of-touch and out-of-control Washington bureaucrats forcing a radical agenda that punishes rural America and the people who call it home.

This designation would slap widespread restrictions on anything that might ‘disturb’ monarch habitat, making it nearly impossible to build or expand in rural areas. We’re not just talking about farmland. This will impact dairies, wind and solar farms, football stadiums, roads, airports, railways, feedlots, rural hospitals, parking lots, logging, and mining — you name it. These restrictions will hit Texas farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and consumers where it hurts, threatening the very industries that drive our state’s and nation's economies.

This is nothing more than a parting shot from the Biden Administration, a desperate move to impose its heavy-handed, radical climate agenda on hard-working Americans before they leave office and sanity returns to our nation's capital on January 20th. This is not a balanced approach to conservation; it’s a roadblock to growth, jobs, and prosperity, all in the name of feel-good policies. We deserve better.”